Project plans, or maybe just more screwball stuff?

I have in my posession, a '79 Plymouth Arrow pickup. Idiot son attempted an engine swap with an Aerostar 3.0/5 spd combo. This was not well thought out; failed miserably, but I let him muddle thru thinking he might learn something. That, too, came a-cropper. Upshot is, I have a hulk in my yard that begs for some modification. Enter the Mad Scientist in me...

I thought about adapting a 4.0 Ford v6 (ohv 12valve EFI, computer late EEC IV), to a VW vanagon transaxle and mounting that marriage in the bed of the Arrow. Keep the cab and box length where they are; try to keep the engine from peeking above the edge of the box. VW rear suspension would be used, adapted to the Arrow frame, but not the powertrain mounting points. The engine/trans would be moved forward to not quite the limit of the of the CV joint's travel. Longer axleshafts would be used as needed, to keep the wheels where they are in the fender opening. Like the 914 did to move the engine back out of the driver's compartment, only in reverse...The engine would remain behind the trans, but would also end up forward of the centerline of the rear wheels.

This would result in a shift rod about 30" long, instead of the 60" or so that the Vanagon uses. It would also give me LOTS more crumple area than the Vanagon has, because the Arrow's engine compartment would still be there, only bare of the engine. I haven't decide whether it would be better to place the fueltank in the empty area, or just enclose with sheetmetal and use it as a trunk. If the fuel were put in the cargo box above the trans, the fill opening in the box side could even be used, I think.

Or should I just turn the hulk into yet another import truck based trailer...I'm loathe to do that, which is why it hasn't happened yet. The world doesn't need another of THOSE abominations...

Anyway, what do the rest of the assylum's inmates think?

sounds cool, there used to be an s10 running around here with a caddy 500 and transaxle in the bed and a fiberglass bed cover, the only indication of what was going on was the FWD caddy rims on the back.

"The engine would remain behind the transmission but would also end up forward of the centerline of the rear wheels" Why am I having trouble envisioning this ?

When I was in high school I put a 455 olds with a toronado transaxle into the back of a Model A pickup. Then immediately had to put a non-running small block chevy in the front to keep the front wheels on the ground. Go for it. And pictures please.

iceracer wrote: "The engine would remain behind the transmission but would also end up forward of the centerline of the rear wheels" Why am I having trouble envisioning this ?

The CV joints allow movement in all planes, not just in the vertical. So I'd maintain horizontal placement of the normal VW aircooled orientation (engine to the rear), but slide the engine/trans combo forward, leaving the hubs/springplates in their normal place. I'd slide it forward, to the limits of the CV travel. Or just short of the limits. .

In the 914, the engine/trans was slid BACK, to get more room in the cockpit. In the case of the 914 though, the engine was FORWARD of the trans. The engine ended up between the wheels.

bravenrace wrote: When I was in high school I put a 455 olds with a toronado transaxle into the back of a Model A pickup. Then immediately had to put a non-running small block chevy in the front to keep the front wheels on the ground. Go for it. And pictures please.

Yeah, I'm hoping to avoid the 'steering tire non-contact syndrome', myself. And I think I WILL start this process...Actually, I already have, since I sent off to KEP for their catalog. 3.00 hard-earned dollars, BTW...

I am not sure you can torture CV joints that much... Why not just make it midengined using a 914 trans?

Mikey52_1 wrote:

bravenrace wrote: When I was in high school I put a 455 olds with a toronado transaxle into the back of a Model A pickup. Then immediately had to put a non-running small block chevy in the front to keep the front wheels on the ground. Go for it. And pictures please.

Yeah, I'm hoping to avoid the 'steering tire non-contact syndrome', myself. And I think I WILL start this process...Actually, I already have, since I sent off to KEP for their catalog. 3.00 hard-earned dollars, BTW...

Pics Please.

All I have is the hulk in my yard and some measurements fron drawings so far. I'll get some pics of the Arrow, and the VW is on the way. Maybe by early next week. We'll see.

Anyway, thanks for the interest and for the enabling . The project begins in earnest within a week or so...

mad_machine wrote: I am not sure you can torture CV joints that much... Why not just make it midengined using a 914 trans?

If I had a 914 to fuel my delusions, THAT prolly would've been the direction said delusions would run. I have a Vanagon that is currently inop and in negotiations, so that's where they ran. If I trade for a 914 tranny, that may change...

not to enable you (yea right) I know Type 1 and type 2 VW transaxles can be made midengined by flopping the ringgear from one side to the other. Anybody know if the Vanagon trans is the same?

If you wanted to go more conventional, a small block Mopar fits in the engine bay of the Arrow/Ram 50/Mitsu pickup. A 904 trans fits behind it too. Kinda like a Diamondstar version of a Chevy Luv with a 350.

So you want to take a small truck and put the engine in the bed which ruins most if not all of the utility, and then you want to power it with a Ford 4.0 V6 hanging off of the 4 speed trans from a Vanagon? I imagine the handling will be "interesting" if you can pull it all off.

Why not just get the driveline from a full sized pickup (it really doesn't matter the brand at this point) and do it conventionally? Like a fuelie 318 backed by either a four speed auto or five speed manual. Sorting the handling and brakes and everything else would probably be miles easier.

That's what I'd think about anyway.

miles easier it might be, but a mid engine pickup? to me that's just plain cool, and if he can get it sorted right...

Well, the guy with the VW thinks it's worth $3500, since that's what they go for in Deals on Wheels. For a 'needs work' van...I guess that's what I get for living in a town where the average income is about $75K. Nuts!

That's pretty much a non-starter, so back to the drawing board...bleah!

On the utility idea, right now that's secondary (or even tertiary). I want something to get me to work and to the grocery store once in a while. Hauling 2x4s is NOT going to be this truck's job.

Thus endeth this incarnation of this thread. RIP, Tschuesschen, Au revoir!